1971 Yamaha FG180 Red Label?

[Blair]

I've heard the red label Yamaha's made from 1968 to 1972 are excellent guitars and worth getting but am having trouble finding out what I should be willing to pay for one. Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Also I just found this site and think it's really neat.
Blair

[sneakypete]

interesting how the all laminate red labels have acquired such a reputation while the all solid wood Yamaha Dynamics that preceded them get so little attention, apart from myself I mean, I have 29 of the Dynamics now and only one FG, a 170 light green label from the early 70s...nice guitar but not in the same league as the Dynamics. There is a small but growing Dynamic following in Japan with a web site dedicated to them.
How much to pay eh...yeah well the red labels have become really popular now. My Japan Vintage books with extensive articles and photos on old Yamahas say the FG-180 first appeard in October 1966, but that was one of the initial two light green label FGs, the other was the FG-150. If yours is a red label, it must be a later model. The on line Yamaha archive says they were made　betweeｎ 1966-1974. The FG-180J came in 1975. It is possible a red label FG-180 was for export and therefore different from the light green label. I`ve seen red labels go for far less than $100.oo and more than $800.oo on line in Japan.
I see them in shops here all the time but they don`t come close to my Dynamics so I haven`t bought any.

[sneakypete]

heres a red label FG-180 for sale on line here, you might watch the auctions...

http://page15.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/t95507020

another...

http://page18.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/w29728556

[Blair]

Thanks Pete. Thats given me a bit to think about. I couldn't figure out the prices in Japanese but could see they were in great shape. And also confirmed that they are laminated. Well I've still got some time before I decide.
Blair

[sneakypete]

if you`re in the States the yen is at 95 to the greenback today. I saw a couple of others too, around $400.oo seems to be the going price right now over here, time will tell whether or not they sell for that.　It`ll come down to where you live and how much respect Yamahas get there, gotta say they don`t always get much but then again the red labels seem to be growing in popularity these days.

[sneakypete]

OK just noticed you live in Georgia.

[Blair]

Thanks again. I saw the guitar today and it was pretty beat up. Had nylon strings on it to so I really couldn't tell how it played. I wasn't even interested so we didn't even discuss price. I bought a new Martin XC1T.